Ricky Gervais Defends Golden Globes Performance; Stars Chime In

Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais has taken to his blog to dispel the controversy surrounding his scathing performance at last Sunday's awards show in Los Angeles.

"All the same conspiracy theories as last year too... 'So and so was offended'... 'hasn't been invited back yet'... exactly the same as last time," Gervais writes, referring to his previous Golden Globes hosting gig in 2010. "'Paul McCartney was furious'... no he wasn't. And nor was Tim Allen and Tom Hanks. I was drinking with them after."

Gervais continues: "Why do people have to embellish? They're allowed to say they hated it. They're allowed to say they didn't find it funny, that it was tasteless, over the top, or whatever. But why do they speculate and make stuff up?"

Many fans did just that after the comedian hadn't been seen or heard for more than a hour before returning to the stage at approximately 10:30 p.m. in tamer form. Gervais said it had everything to do with the way the show was organized and wasn't based on his earlier material.

"Obviously the rumour that the organizers stopped me going out on stage for an hour is rubbish," said the comedian. "I did every link I was scheduled to do. The reason why the gaps were uneven is because when I got the rundown I was allowed to choose who I presented to. I obviously chose the spots that I had the best gags for. They couldn't move around the order but I could move around however I wanted."

If Gervais was scared about his performance, he didn't show it, telling Deadline Hollywood after the show, "For three hours every year, Hollywood is scared to death of me. It's great."

"I think last year I didn't go far enough," he told TVGuide.com. "This year, I went about right. If anyone was offended, then I don't care."

Gervais' performance drew a mixed review among both critics and his acting and celebrity peers. Jimmy Fallon called it "hilarious," while upcoming Producers Guild of America Awards host Judd Apatow issued a Twitter challenge, asking his followers to submit jokes better than Gervais' that he can use during the show. Christian Bale told The Hollywood Reporter, "Thank God for comedians," perhaps a subtle joke given Gervais' devout atheism. And Al Pacino gave the performance a thumbs up, noting, "He’s a comic, so he’s going to go for it. He’s letting it go."

Robert Downey Jr., though, the brunt of some of Gervais' most brutal material, called the performance "mean-spirited with mildly sinister undertones" while Hugh Hefner wrote a backhanded compliment on Twitter. "I'm used to cheap shots... It goes with the territory," wrote the founder of Playboy. "The Golden Globes was a blast. They made fun of everyone, including Crystal & me. A great night."

But the most important opinion regarding Gervais's return next year belongs to Philip Berk, President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the organization that runs the awards and who Gervais had to "help off the toiletand pop his teeth in."

"He definitely crossed the line," Berk told The Hollywood Reporter. "And some of the things were totally unacceptable. But that's Ricky. Any of the references to individuals is certainly not something the Hollywood Foreign Press condones."

There's been no word so far on whether Gervais has been asked to host next year's award, though the silence is all the more deafening given that Gervais had this year's job locked up almost immediately after hosting last year's Golden Globes.

But according to PopEater, who spoke with a member of the HFPA, the decision has already been made.

"Ricky will not be invited back to host the show next year, for sure," one anonymous member told the site. "For sure any movie he makes he can forget about getting nominated. He humiliated the organization last night and went too far with several celebrities whose representatives have already called to complain."

Gervais will be a guest on '"Piers Morgan Tonight" on Thursday, where the actor will hopefully clear up any lingering rumors and speculation.